During a late fall visit to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, I finally realized why my Ohio nephews and their dad make repeated visits annually to the world's oldest and largest military aviation museum.
With more than 300 restored aircraft, artifacts, memorabilia, videos, and Imax films, a few hours in the complex is not enough. With closing time approaching fast, I rushed through my final stop in the Cold War missile hangar, while a companion didn't make it through another hangar because he became engrossed in individual planes, among them a B-52D bomber, a huge plane bearing scars from a missile attack during its combat days in the Vietnam War.
"You need three days to go through the full museum," spokeswoman Sarah Parke said in a telephone conversation.
Founded in 1923, the museum is on the grounds of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on the southeastern outskirts of Dayton, not too far from where Orville and Wilbur Wright tinkered in their bicycle shop and invented the first powered flying machine.
The museum complex includes three massive hangars exhibiting aircraft of all types and related texts, photographs, vintage film footage, and videos; an Imax Theatre; an outdoor airpark with more planes; a memorial park; a Presidential Gallery; a research and development gallery; and a huge gift store.
Boston.com
With more than 300 restored aircraft, artifacts, memorabilia, videos, and Imax films, a few hours in the complex is not enough. With closing time approaching fast, I rushed through my final stop in the Cold War missile hangar, while a companion didn't make it through another hangar because he became engrossed in individual planes, among them a B-52D bomber, a huge plane bearing scars from a missile attack during its combat days in the Vietnam War.
"You need three days to go through the full museum," spokeswoman Sarah Parke said in a telephone conversation.
Founded in 1923, the museum is on the grounds of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base on the southeastern outskirts of Dayton, not too far from where Orville and Wilbur Wright tinkered in their bicycle shop and invented the first powered flying machine.
The museum complex includes three massive hangars exhibiting aircraft of all types and related texts, photographs, vintage film footage, and videos; an Imax Theatre; an outdoor airpark with more planes; a memorial park; a Presidential Gallery; a research and development gallery; and a huge gift store.
Boston.com
